Russell Brand

After his secret struggle, reality TV father and former Olympian Bruce Jenner is "finally happy" and transitioning into a woman. Subscribe now to read the REAL story behind his life-changing decision in PEOPLE.

While Philip Seymour Hoffman's tragic death is the most recent to make headlines, heroin claimed the lives of many beloved artists, including Cory Monteith, Janis Joplin, River Phoenix and Chris Farley.

Other stars – from Angelina Jolie and Nicole Richie to Samuel L. Jackson – have admitted to dabbling if not struggling with the drug. And many have offered chilling personal accounts of their heroin use.

Here are six celebrities who have shared their experiences with the dangerous drug over the years:

In a column filled with fiery criticism, British comedian Russell Brand partly blames drug laws and society's treatment of addiction for the apparent overdose death of Philip Seymour Hoffman.

Writing in the U.K.'s The Guardian Brand, 38, a recovering addict himself, decries celebrity culture and media seeking to popularize a star's public fall from grace, but argues that drug prohibition and the criminalization of drugs exacerbate the problem.

"Philip Seymour Hoffman's death is a reminder, though, that addiction is indiscriminate. That it is sad, irrational and hard to understand," Brand writes.

It wasn't a good sign for me when "Roar," the No. 1 single that heralded Katy Perry's third studio album, felt kind of tame compared to Sara Bareilles's "Brave," a similar self-empowerment anthem that came out a few months before.

But the good news is that "Roar" (which, admittedly, has since grown on me) isn't even one of the best songs on the vibrant, multicolored Prism – and there are certainly plenty more hits where that came from.

This is a pop blockbuster that easily beats 2010's hit-laden behemoth Teenage Dream. It finds Perry once again working with A-list producers like Dr. Luke, Max Martin, Stargate and Benny Blanco, and they deliver the hooks and beats for the diva, whether it's blissful dance tracks ("Birthday") or forceful power ballads ("Unconditionally").

Katy Perry learned that the hard way when, during a scheduled sit-down with the veteran journalist, she happened be running behind schedule ... only to run straight into Walters's ire when the interview finally got under way.

In the latest issue of Billboard, the "Roar" singer, 28, looks back on the encounter, which happened to coincide with the demise of Perry's marriage to her then husband, Russell Brand.